Prisoners of the Mind: What Happens?
by Gage39
Summary: Optimus Prime is once again awoken to rescue Ultra Magnus.  But this time he also has to rescue Sentinel Prime and deal with Bumblebee.  Can he trust Bumblebee, who has lied to him before to tell him the truth now? Or will they be returned to the simulati
1. Prologue: Kidnapped Again

Prisoners of the Mind: What Happens?

Prologue: Kidnapped…Again

So far Ultra Magnus and Sentinel Prime were having a fairly quiet day. They were currently sitting in an abandoned warehouse, one that was in the middle of being renovated and turned into a new storage facility for the Elite Guard.

"I believe that you were about to explain to me as to _why_ Orion Pax is still alive and not off-line like he should be," Ultra Magnus glared at Sentinel, daring the Prime to lie to him.

To his credit Sentinel was smart enough to know when to lie and when not to lie. And right now was definitely _not_ the time to lie. "Well you see, sir," he began to explain but was interrupted when the door suddenly flew open, Starscream standing in the doorway.

"It's so good to see you again, Ultra Magnus," the flyer smirked. When he caught sight of Sentinel he snarled and said, "It is truly a pleasure to see you as well, Sentinel Prime."

"Starscream," Ultra Magnus groaned. "Are you here to kidnap me again?"

"Not at all, Ultra Magnus," the flyer said as he entered the warehouse, Lugnut and Blitzwing right behind him. "I'm here to kidnap both of you."

Before either one of the Autobots had a chance to react Lugnut and Blitzwing had placed them in stasis cuffs. Within seconds their mouth plates were locked as well, hindering them from speaking.

"Take them to the hideout," Starscream ordered. "And don't hurt them!"

"But if ve have them captured then vho are ve going to make a deal vith?" Blitzwing asked.

Starscream frowned. "More than likely? It's going to be Bumblebee."

The other two Decepticons groaned. "Not Bumblebee," Lugnut pleaded. "Any bot but him."

"I must agree vith Lugnut on this," Blitzwing agreed. "I don't think it's such a good idea to be making a deal vith Bumblebee. You remember vhat he vas like vhen he vas vorking for us. Just imagine vhat he'll be like now that he vorks for the Autobots!"

"I agree that it's not an ideal situation," Starscream stated. "But what other choice do we have? Unless we kidnap him as well and I know for that a fact that none of us want that."

"No!" Lugnut and Blitzwing said loudly even as they both shuddered in fear.

"Then we'll make a deal with him," Starscream turned and walked out of the warehouse, his fellow Decepticons and their prisoners following him.

"This vill not end vell," Blitzwing whispered to Lugnut who nodded in agreement.

"I can hear you," Starscream said without turning around.

The two Decepticons looked at each other shamefacedly then hurried to catch up. They had a deal to make.

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry that it's so short. Please review and let me know what you think!


	2. Waking Up Again

Prisoners of the Mind: What Happens?

Chapter 1: Waking Up…Again

Although all had been quiet on Cybertron things were definitely _not_ quiet on Earth. The sound of tires screeching filled every single room followed by shrieks and curses. Optimus Prime ignored all of the noise, however, and focused on the datapad that he was filling out. Apparently he was supposed to record how many accidents the Autobots got into on a daily basis. A loud crash sounded from nearby but didn't even faze him. Instead, he merely wrote _'Bumblebee crashed into a wall'._ Another crash. _'Prowl crashed into the same wall as well.'_ Yet another crash. This one followed by LOUD cursing and shouts of "Bulkhead, you clumsy idiot! Get back here so I can dismantle you!" _'Bulkhead destroyed Ratchet's medical bay. Ratchet hit him upside the cranial unit with a wrench.' _"Bumblebee!" _'Bumblebee crashed into Ratchet and knocked both of them on the floor.'_ Tires screeched then three identical yells of "Prowl!" _'Prowl accidentally drove over all three of them.'_ There's no telling how long the report would have been if the room hadn't suddenly disappeared and everything went dark.

* * *

><p>Feeling a sense of déjà vu Optimus unshuttered his optics to find himself in the simulation chamber. Again.<p>

"Not again," Bulkhead complained.

"Someone's gonna pay," Ratchet threatened.

"Why are we here?" Prowl asked. "And why are we awake?"

"I'm afraid it's a long story," a familiar voice said.

The Autobots turned to see Bumblebee standing in the doorway, looking very somber.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do," Ratchet growled.

"Yeah!" Bulkhead chimed in. "How did you get to the door if you were in the simulation chamber with us?"

"Because he wasn't in the simulation chamber with us," Optimus said in sudden realization. "He's never even been there, have you?"

"Actually I have," Bumblebee said to their surprise. "But I've never been in there with you four. But enough small talk; we have more important things to worry about."

"Like what?" Prowl asked indifferently, trying not to sound slightly curious. "What could possibly be more important than telling us why we were still in there?"

"Ultra Magnus and Sentinel Prime have been kidnapped by the Decepticons," Bumblebee said.

"Well maybe that is more important," Prowl admitted.

Letting out a sigh Optimus decided to go ahead and surrender to the inevitable. "Tell us everything that you know."

Bumblebee nodded. "I will. But why don't we go to my office? It's slightly more comfortable."

"Sounds good to me," Bulkhead said as he stood up, almost tripping over the recharge berth that he had been sitting on.

"Lead the way," Ratchet stood up slowly, his joints creaking in protest.

"Might as well," Optimus sighed as he too stood up.

Prowl said nothing but merely followed the other four bots from the simulation chamber, not looking back.

* * *

><p>AN: Once again I'm sorry that this chapter's so short but unfortunately that's the way it goes right now. Review and let me know what you think!


	3. Bumblebee's Office

Prisoners of the Mind: What Happens?

Chapter 2: Bumblebee's Office

The five Autobots walked down the hallway in silence, ignoring the curious stares and wide-eyed expressions of disbelief. Or at least they tried to anyway. Not able to stand the optics watching him Optimus asked, "Why is everyone staring at us?"

They walked a few more steps before Bumblebee finally answered and said, "You're not supposed to be awake. After you rescued Ultra Magnus Sentinel Prime ordered that the four of you never be woken again. Not even in the case of an emergency."

"Then why are we awake now?" Prowl wanted to know.

Bumblebee sighed and stopped in front of a door. He turned to look at them and said, "I don't agree with Sentinel on a lot of things and that includes the four of you. If waking you up will save him and Ultra Magnus then I say go for it. I don't really want to lose the leader of the Autobots just because his second in command is an afthead."

Bulkhead sniggered and said, "That's funny."

"You got a sense of humor, kid," Ratchet grunted in agreement.

Bumblebee smiled then opened the door that they were standing in front of. "If you would be so kind as to enter my humble abode I would greatly appreciate it."

Prowl's mouth plates switched as he barely suppressed his smile and walked inside, the others right behind him. Once they were all in Bumblebee closed the door and leaned against his desk so that he was facing them.

His office was…slightly different than what Optimus had been expecting. For starters there was actually a desk and it was clean. The datapads were stacked in neat piles while two datapads lay haphazardly in the middle of the desk. If he squinted just right Optimus could make out the word Slipstream but that was it. No holopics hung on the walls and, in fact, there wasn't anything personal in the entire room. It looked just like what he had expected Sentinel Prime's office to look like.

"Have a seat," Bumblebee gestured towards the two chairs sitting in front of his desk.

"Don't mind if I do," Ratchet grunted as he sat down, joints popping in relief.

"Start explaining," Optimus ordered as he crossed his arms, refusing to sit.

"It's kind of a long story," Bumblebee sighed.

"Which one?" Bulkhead asked. "Explaining how we wound up in here or how the Decepticons captured Ultra Magnus and Sentinel Prime?"

"Both actually," Bumblebee admitted. "After that little fiasco with you Ultra Magnus wanted some answers so he and Sentinel Prime went to our new storage facility which is still being renovated to have their little discussion. And while they were there Starscream, Blitzwing, and Lugnut found them and captured them."

"What are their demands?" Prowl asked.

Bumblebee looked all around the room; at the floor, the ceiling, and the walls…anything but the four Autobots sitting in front of him. At least he reluctantly answered, "Starscream wants his clones back."

'His clones?" the Autobots yelped.

"You have his clones?" Optimus gasped in shock.

"Of course," Bumblebee sounded slightly offended. "I can get anybody that I want."

"It that's the case then why can't you get Ultra Magnus and Sentinel Prime back by yourself?" Ratchet grunted, sounding slightly curious.

Bumblebee's blue optics darted around the room then focused on Optimus as he said, "That's a very long and very complicated story."

"We have time," Prowl adjusted his position so that he would be slightly more comfortable.

"No you don't," Bumblebee walked around the desk and sat behind it. He leaned across it and said urgently, "Ultra Magnus is supposed to be giving a speech in two days. If he doesn't show up then everyone's going to know that something's wrong. And when they discover that Sentinel is missing as well and that the Decepticons are back? We are going to have a massive panic attack and things are going to get very, very messy."

The Autobots exchanged glances and Optimus heaved a sigh. "All right," he said. "We'll help. But we do _not_ want to go back in the simulation chamber. Is that understood?"

Bumblebee nodded, relief covering his gray faceplate. "Understood."

"Tell us everything you know," Prowl said.

"All right," Bumblebee agreed.

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry it's so short. Again. Yes I know that these chapters seem to be getting shorter and shorter but unfortunately my Transformers: Animated muse has already moved on to Teen Titans and White Collar. But I will finish all of the Transformers stories that I said I would. So please review and let me know what you think!


	4. Talking To Bumblebee

What Happens

Chapter 3: Talking to Bumblebee

"We captured Starscream's clones almost a year ago," Bumblebee said. "I was…busy at the time and so I didn't hear about it until a few weeks after that. I told Sentinel that it was not a good idea to hold Starscream's clones prisoner. I told him that Starscream would come for them but no! He just had to hold onto those clones. He had to prove himself better than the Decepticons!" Bumblebee snorted.

"But why does Starscream care about them so much?" Prowl asked curiously.

"Yeah he didn't care that much about them," Ratchet grunted.

"Don't believe everything about the Decepticons that you heard," Bumblebee's voice was suddenly cold, harsh, angry even. "They are not the villains that everyone's made them out to be just as the Autobots are not the heroes that you think. Just because you were taught things in the simulation chamber doesn't make them true."

"Okay, okay," Bulkhead held up his green servos in defense. "You don't have to take our cranial units off."

"I'm sorry," Bumblebee apologized. "But you must understand that I have been living in the real world and dealing with reality while the four of you lived in a fake world. One where Sentinel Prime was the one in charge of choosing your reality."

"But if that's the case then why wasn't he Magnus?" Optimus asked.

Bumblebee's mouth plates twitched in a smile and he said, "Because, in the event that the four of you were ever awoken, we wanted you to have at least a basic understanding of everything."

"So if we were woken up we would be somewhat familiar with it," Prowl said in realization.

"Exactly," Bumblebee nodded then his voice became business-like once again. "But right now we need to focus more on finding Sentinel and Ultra Magnus."

"Where would the Decepticons have taken them?" Ratchet grunted.

"Their headquarters," Bumblebee replied.

"Is that the same place we went to last time?" Prowl wanted to know.

"Nope," Bumblebee said. "That was just their temporary base. Their headquarters are in Kaon."

"Big surprise there," Prowl muttered.

"But after Megatron's death they came here to Cybertron to make a peace treaty with Ultra Magnus. But that afthead Sentinel captured the clones before Starscream could approach Ultra Magnus. Their temporary headquarters are in Iacon," Bumblebee finished.

"How do you know all of that?" Bulkhead exclaimed.

"I used to work for them," Bumblebee said. "I was their go-to bot when something needed to be fixed."

"But why would Sentinel try to prevent the Decepticons from signing a peace treaty?" a confused Optimus asked.

"He doesn't want peace," Bumblebee said finally as he stood and looked out the window. "He wants power and lots of it. If the Deception clones kill Ultra Magnus then he'll be become the head of the Elite Guard and can declare war on them."

"We won't' let that happen," Optimus declared, standing up.

Bumblebee managed a wan smile. "There's not much that you can do but you are certainly more than welcome to try."

"Where are the clones?" Prowl asked, getting straight to business.

"I'll take you," Bumblebee said. "You'll need my clearance to see them anyway."

The black and yellow minibot walked out of the room with Bulkhead and Prowl behind him.

"Somethin' don't feel right, Prime," Ratchet grunted.

"I agree," Optimus said. "We'll help Bumblebee but we will keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

A/N: Sorry it's so short and so late. I've been sick all weekend and this is the first opportunity I've had to write anything. Please review and let me know what you think!


	5. Talking To Slipstream

Prisoners of the Mind: What Happens?

Chapter 4: Talking to Slipstream

The walk to the brig was quiet and awkward; much like the walk to Bumblebee's office. Upon seeing them bots would stop and stare while some turned and ran in the opposite direction as fast as they could.

"Glad to see we have a reputation," Prowl said sarcastically.

"You don't; I do," Bumblebee replied.

Out of the corner of his optic Optimus caught sight of some bots trading credits. "What are they doing?" he asked.

Bumblebee didn't turn around but said, "Placing bets on who will win the fight when Sentinel Prime and Ultra Magnus return."

"Are they gonna fight?" Ratchet grunted.

Bumblebee shook his head. "Not them; but Sentinel Prime and I will definitely come to blows when they return. He will not be happy when he finds out that you're awake."

"Why not?" Prowl asked.

"I can't answer that," Bumblebee replied. "Here we are."

He came to a stop in front of a door with both an electronic keypad and card reader. He swiped a card then punched in a code, allowing the door to slide open. Once inside there was yet another door but this one also had a voice recognition program and two armed guards who stayed as far away as possible from the Autobots, giving each other nervous glances. Bumblebee just ignored them, however, and kept on walking, indicating that they should do the same. They walked through five more doors before they finally reached the brig. Inside were seven cells, each one containing one of Starscream's clones.

The first contained Dirge, who was the greediest one of them all. He looked just like Starscream except for his cranial unit which was triangle shaped. His body was a dirty yellow with teal armor and two guns. "I want your credits," he growled.

Ramjet occupied the second one. Having the nerve to call himself honest Ramjet was mostly light gray with crimson trimming and he had Starscream's cranial unit. Only his was gray. "Idiots," he mumbled.

Having been dubbed "the coward" Skywarp was purple all over. Light purple made up his trim and he cringed as the Autobots walked past him. "Don't kill me," he whimpered.

Sunstorm was, without a doubt, the suck-up of the group. He was a mixture of gold and orange with pink guns and began complimenting the Autobots as they approached his cell. "You Autobots are without a doubt the smartest bots I have ever met," he said admiringly.

Thundercracker was also purple but with some black and a big ego. "I am the worst of all Decepticons!" he screamed at them. "You only captured me because I let you!"

Thrust was pure crimson and his cranial unit had the same shape of Dirge's. A fact that made Thrust jealous as he had wanted to be the only one that looked different. Of course this was because he and Dirge had been built by Swindle and found after the smuggler had ticked off Starscream who had immediately liberated his clones. "I'm the only one worth anything in here!" he yelled.

Slipstream was the last clone and the most deadly of them all. The only femme in the group no one was entirely sure what aspect of Starscream's personality she represented and they didn't want to know. She wasn't a beauty with her gray frame, sea green leg armor and wings with purple stripes running through them that matched her chassis armor. She didn't just occupy the cell; she _lounged_ in it. She gave the Autobots little more than a passing glance before lowering her cranial unit only to raise it back up in alarm as she regarded Optimus and his group. "Orion Pax?" she gasped. "The last time anyone saw you was when you were on your way to be executed."

"Executed?" Optimus let increduilty feel his voice.

"Ahem." Bumblebee cleared his throat, causing Slipstream to direct her gaze at him.

"Dear Bumblebee," she smiled. "It's difficult to believe that you of all bots work for the Autobots now. You were more gung-ho about taking them down then Megatron himself!"

"They made me a deal I couldn't refuse," Bumblebee replied.

Slipstream gave him a look. "You know I don't believe that for a minute. You were the bot that could always find a better deal. And you were always _loyal."_ She stressed the word 'loyal', giving him a dirty look.

To his credit Bumblebee winced. "I guess I deserved that," he admitted with a nod of his head. "But at the moment we have more important things to discuss."

"Such as?" she raised an optic ridge.

"Where Starscream is keeping Sentinel Prime and Ultra Magnus," he said.

Slipstream looked surprised then a sly smile crept up on her faceplate. "You don't honestly expect me to answer that do you?"

"Yes we do," Prowl said.

Slipstream looked at him and her optics widened. "Prowl? What did the Elite Guard do? Put up a sign that said 'Please Steal All Loyal Decepticons'? I mean really, taking Bumblebee was bad enough but taking you? They must have really been feeling really brave. Lockdown will not be happy when he finds out where you are."

Prowl snarled. "Don't mention that murderer's name to me," he hissed.

Slipstream looked confused but Bumblebee explained. "The Autobots brainwashed him into believing that Lockdown is his enemy."

"He's your brother," Slipstream said. "Now go away; I have a lot that I need to do." She turned away from them, indicating that the conversation was over.

"Let's go," Bumblebee said hastily. "We have a lot of work to do."

"He's Prowl's brother?" Bulkhead looked shocked.

"And why was Prime going to be executed?" Ratchet wanted to know.

Bumblebee heaved a sigh. "I'll tell you later; I promise."

Slipstream watched the five Autobots exit the brig then a sly smile appeared on her faceplate. "This is turning out to be interesting," she said. "Very interesting indeed."

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry that it's so late. Please review and let me know what you think!


	6. How Orion Pax Was Recruited

Prisoners of the Mind: What Happens?

Chapter 5: How Orion Pax Was Recruited

Ultra Magnus found himself once again enjoying the pleasure of being the Decepticons' prisoner. While it had been reasonably bearably last time it was now intolerable. Of course this was due to having to share a room with Sentinel Prime who kept pacing and yelling obscenities at their captors. "Sit down, Sentinel," Ultra Magnus said wearily, his cranial unit propped on a servo. Sentinel merely ignored him and continued ranting. "Sit down!" Ultra Magnus suddenly roared, starling both of them.

Sentinel looked at him with wide optics and obediently sat down at the table across from his superior.

"Now," Ultra Magnus began. "The Decepticons captured us for a reason. And something tells me that it has to do with what you were about to tell me when we were kidnapped. So, while we have this free time, you will tell me everything. And I do mean _everything._ Such as why Orion Pax is still online and why we have two of the Decepticons' top employers in our custody and they are running around free."

"It's a very long story," Sentinel said nervously.

"We have plenty of time," Ultra Magnus said.

"I'm not really sure how to begin," Sentinel admitted.

"Why not at the very beginning?" Ultra Magnus suggested.

"Well I guess it would have to have been two years before Orion Pax killed Elite One."

* * *

><p>Five Years Earlier<p>

Sentinel Prime walked through the hallways of the old building that had once been the site of the Cybertron Research Facility, glancing uneasily from side to side. "Is anyone there?" he hated how his voice trembled ever so slightly as he continued walking.

"There you are!" a voice exclaimed, causing him to jump.

"Who are you?" Sentinel demanded as he pulled out his sword and shield.

"Relax," the voice laughed then its owner appeared. He was very…unique looking with his battle mask engaged and fins on either side of his cranial unit that were lit up. "I'm Wheeljack."

"Get to the point," Sentinel ordered. "You better have a good reason for asking me to meet you here or I swear that I'll have you off lined."

"Okay, okay," Wheeljack held up his servos in defense. "As you know the Cybertron Research Facility used to be housed in this building here. But what you don't know is that we were in the middle of conducting research for Overlord Magnus when he was off lined and Ultra Magnus took his place. After Ultra Magnus took over he ordered that our research be halted and the facility be closed down."

"And what does this have to do with me?" Sentinel interrupted. "I'm not that interested in your research."

"Oh but you will be," Wheeljack promised. "You will be."

* * *

><p>"And things took off after that," Sentinel shrugged, staring intently at the table.<p>

Ultra Magnus stared at his colleague, dumbfounded. When he could finally speak again he said, "You authorized them to continue their research? What were you thinking? They were experimenting on bots to see if they could completely rewire a bot without him going crazy!"

"And they succeeded," Sentinel said, his blue optics shining as he looked at Ultra Magnus. "We captured a Decepticon spy named Bumblebee and placed him in the simulation chamber. The experiments were working. At least until he woke up," he added.

* * *

><p>Four Years Earlier<p>

"Sir!" Sentinel Prime turned around to see a red minibot running towards him, looking extremely panicked.

"What is it?" Sentinel asked with a sigh.

"The Decepticon, he's coming out of it!"

"What!" Sentinel took off running, arriving at the observation room in record time just in the nick of time to see the Decepticon sit up. "How did this happen?" he demanded.

"We don't know," Red Alert told him curtly.

"Well somebody better find out!" he roared. "Or there will be pit to pay for this!"

Suddenly the door flung open and there stood a very annoyed minibot. "You better tell me where I am and what I'm doing here or I swear I will offline each and every one of you!" he growled.

"Any suggestions?" Inferno asked sarcastically.

"Someone fetch Wheeljack now!" Sentinel yelled. "And tell him that he better have a very good explanation for this!"

* * *

><p>"After Bumblebee woke up we discovered that he had had safeguards placed in his processor which would prevent his processor from being re-written. So we had to have another test subject," Sentinel sighed.<p>

"And that's about the time that Orion Pax killed Elita One," Ultra Magnus said in realization. "You offered him a deal didn't you?"

Sentinel nodded. "Yes, sir, I did."

* * *

><p>Four Years Earlier<p>

Sentinel sat in the Cybertron Prison Facility and looked through the glass at Orion Pax who was staring back. "Why?" Sentinel finally asked. "Why did you kill her?"

Orion Pax shrugged. "You shouldn't have asked her to go on a date with you," he said.

"You killed Elite One because of that?" Sentinel was incredulous. Apparently Orion Pax was more mentally unstable than he had previously thought.

"No," Orion leaned forward. "I killed her because she accepted."

"The two of you were fixing to break up!" Sentinel defended himself. "Elita One was very upset so I asked her out to cheer her up. If I had known that you were going to kill her over that I wouldn't have asked her out."

"Well it's a little late for that now, isn't it?" Orion's optics glowed red for a second then returned to their normal blue.

Sentinel heaved a sigh and leaned forward. "Look, Orion, I wasn't going to tell you this but I might know a way to save your life."

"How?" Orion sounded indifferent but the interest in his blue optics was plain for all to see.

"So I told him that if he was willing to become one of the bots that we were going to experiment on I would help fake his death," Sentinel finished.

"I can't believe that you really did that," Ultra Magnus sounded like he was in shock. "I just can't believe that you really did that."

"I still can't believe it myself," Sentinel grumbled. "And I can't believe that I just told you that!"

"You're also going to tell me the rest of it as well," Ultra Magnus said. "Believe me; you will."

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry that this is so late but I've been preoccupied all weekend and I spent all day today waiting for an interview but I did get the job (Yay me!) so fair warning to all of you readers. I will do my absolute best to post another chapter of 'Animated Masterforce' and 'Subject 93-483-946' tomorrow as well but I make no promises.


	7. Ratchet Joins

Prisoners of the Mind: What Happens?

Chapter 6: Ratchet Joins

"Okay now I know how you recruited Orion Pax. Tell me how you recruited Ratchet; this ought to be very interesting," Ultra Magnus glared at Sentinel who shrank down in his seat.

"It is definitely interesting," Sentinel agreed.

"So get started," Ultra Magnus growled. "We have all the time in the world."

"It was right about the same time that Elita One was killed," Sentinel began.

* * *

><p>Four Years Earlier<p>

"So let me get this straight," Ratchet crossed his arms and glared at Sentinel. "In exchange for me agreeing to let you bots experiment on me you'll let Ironhide join the Elite Guard?"

Sentinel nodded. Ironhide was a young bot that Ratchet had taken in and raised. And his greatest ambition was to join the Elite Guard.

"And how do I know that you'll keep your word?" Ratchet leaned forward.

Sentinel thought quickly. They needed an old bot to experiment on and Ratchet was their best bet. Opening his mouth he said, "If you agree right here and now I promise that I will call Ultra Magnus in front of you and recommend Ironhide."

Ratchet thought for a minute then grunted, "That sounds fine. But make it quick; I want to tell Ironhide goodbye before I turn myself over to you."

"That's fine," Sentinel sighed in relief.

* * *

><p>"Ironhide?" Ultra Magnus raised an optic ridge. When Sentinel nodded he said, "And just how did you explain Ratchet's disappearance to him?"<p>

Sentinel shrugged. "I just told him that Ratchet had been killed on the way to repair some space bridge repair bots on the other side of Cybertron."

Ultra Magnus groaned and put his cranial unit in his servos. "I don't believe this," he said. "I don't believe this."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at the Cybertron Research Facility, Bumblebee was in his office, looking at several files. Spread out on his desk were Optimus's, Ratchet's, Prowl's, and Bulkhead's files. Currently he was reading Ratchet's file, taking note of how he had been persuaded to join. "Ironhide," he muttered. "He's the third-in-command of the Elite Guard. Guess Sentinel did keep his word after all." He hesitated, his servo hovering over the computer keyboard. Should he do it? Should he contact Ironhide and tell him that his guardian wasn't really dead? Should he explain to the Autobot that his boss was responsible for keeping several murderers online merely to experiment on? Making his decision, he shook his head and grabbed Prowl's file instead.<p>

* * *

><p>AN: I am so sorry that this chapter is so short! And yes I know that I don't usually update my stories this early but since I have a job now I'm going to mostly be working afternoons. And I promise that I will update my other stories by Tuesday. I promise. Please review and let me know what you think!


	8. The Recruitment Of Bulkhead

Prisoners of the Mind: What Happens?

Chapter 7: The Recruitment of Bulkhead

"Bulkhead's real designation is Crankshaft," Sentinel said then fell silent, knowing what effect that name would have on Ultra Magnus.

As he had predicted the older bot sat up, his optics wide with terror. "Crankshaft as in Crankshaft-the Neutral terrorist that blew everything up in his path?"

Sentinel nodded but didn't say anything.

Ultra Magnus groaned. "When we get out of here you better have a way to try and convince me to let you keep your job," he warned.

"I know," Sentinel replied.

"So how did you recruit him?" Ultra Magnus sounded genuinely interested.

"That's another long story," Sentinel sighed.

* * *

><p>Five Years Earlier<p>

"So let me get this straight. You want me to volunteer to be part of an experiemtn?" Crankshaft raised an optic ridge.

Sentinel nodded. "Yes I do."

"And why should I?" Crankshaft leaned back, looking completely at ease.

Instead of answering Sentinel said, "I heard that the Decepticons have quite the bounty on your cranial unit."

"Yeah so?" Crankshaft was wary now, his optics narrowing as he watched Sentinel.

"I also heard that they're not very nice to their prisoners. It would be a shame if, by some chance, they received a tip that you were, on I don't know, in their area or somewhere close by."

Crankshaft was glaring now, hatred written on his faceplate. "If I do agree to volunteer for this experiment I trust that the Decepticons will never know where I am?"

Sentinel nodded. "They'll never know."

* * *

><p>"And I never did tell the Decepticons," Sentinel finished then fell silent.<p>

"I can't believe it," Ultra Magnus said at last. "I just can't believe it. You managed to get a group of the most dangerous bots ever in Autobot history and used them in an experiment. And not only that but you have one of the most dangerous Decepticons' running around free and in charge of the experiments!"

Sentinel hung his head, looking slightly ashamed. "I might not have been thinking clearly," he confessed.

"Might not?" Ultra Magnus raised an optic ridge. "Sounds to me like you definitely weren't thinking! You're really going to have to work extra hard if you want to keep your job now."

"I know, I know," Sentinel muttered.

* * *

><p>Bumblebee sat in his office, watching the security feed showing him what Optimus, Ratchet, Prowl, and Bulkhead were doing. He felt strangely saddened as he watched them argue and laugh over stupid jokes. To them, their friendship was real. Something they had experienced. But to him? It was nothing more than images he had watched daily to see how they were doing. But, somewhere along the line, he had fallen for the deception as well, eager to see what new images he would see every day. Feeling melancholy settling in he shook his cranial unit then returned once more to the datapads in front of him.<p>

He looked at Bulkhead's file then looked back at the monitor. It was strange; like watching two different bots. It was hard to believe that Bulkhead; big, clumsy, bighearted, Bulkhead used to be Crankshaft; the murderer, the terrorist who killed without discrimination, the bot that had watched his family die during an altercation between the Autobots and the Decepticons. He shook his cranial unit in disbelief then picked up Prowl's file.

* * *

><p>AN: Yes I know that this chapter is extremely short and extremely late and I apologize for that. I will update 'Animated Masterforce' this morning; I promise. Please review and let me know what you think!


	9. Capture Of The Ninja

Prisoners of the Mind: What Happens?

Chapter 7: Capture of the Ninja

"And I suppose that you captured Prowl as well?" Ultra Magnus said sarcastically.

"Of course!" Sentinel sounded offended. "With Bumblebee's help," he mumbled.

"I knew it," Ultra Magnus didn't sound triumphant. "Hurry it up," he sighed. "I don't have…well actually I do have all day. But get it over with anyway."

Sentinel nodded.

* * *

><p>Five Years Earlier<p>

Prowl lounged in the chair that he had been given, his arms crossed in front of his chassis while he mentally calculated the best way to escape. Across from him sat Sentinel Prime, the low-down Autobot who had captured him with the help of another Decepticon. For some reason the knowledge that Bumblebee had betrayed him hurt although he wasn't sure why. Okay so what if he and his brother Lockdown had taken in the youngling and raised him? That was no reason for Prowl to feel betrayed even though he had been.

"You know, Prowl, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've gotten quite tired of having to clean up your messes," Sentinel said.

Prowl smirked. "So sorry," the sarcasm in his voice was clearly heard.

Sentinel gave him a look that clearly stated he had also heard the sarcasm. "There is quite a bounty on your cranial unit, Prowl, and on your brother's as well." He smirked when he saw the ninja's red optics narrow in anger.

"What about my brother?" Prowl growled.

"Nothing," Sentinel said airily. "It's just that he was spotted not far from here. Doesn't he have a warrant out for his arrest?"

Prowl's optics narrowed even further. "What do you want from me?" he hissed, venom clearly heard in each word.

"Not much," Sentinel replied. "All we want you to do is merely give your permission so that we can experiment on you."

"What kind of experiment?" Prowl asked warily.

"That's not important," Sentinel said, the look on his face suggesting that he was not going to tell Prowl anyway.

Prowl thought about it for a moment. If he agreed to be experimented on then they would leave Lockdown alone. "How do I know that you'll keep your word?" he said abruptly.

"You don't," Sentinel said calmly.

Prowl growled then reluctantly said, "Fine. You have my permission."

* * *

><p>"Is that why we never caught Lockdown?" Ultra Magnus asked.<p>

Sentinel nodded. "Yes sir that's why."

Ultra Magnus sat back, looking overwhelmed. "I can't believe it," he said again. "I just can't believe it. You, of all bots, captured some of the most notorious criminals and used them in your experiments."

"You have to admit that it was ingenious," Sentinel said. "This way if one of them offlines at least we won't have lost any soldiers or civilians."

The look he received from Ultra Magnus told him that he had crossed the line. Sentinel shrank down in his chair as the glare intensified.

"Sentinel," Ultra Magnus said slowly. "When we get back you're going to be demoted. The experiments will cease and all of the subjects will be set free. Also, the testing facilities will be destroyed and all bots associated with it will be imprisoned."

Sentinel opened his mouth to say something but obviously thought better of it for he closed it again.

* * *

><p>AN: I am so sorry that this is so late and so short but I've been so busy with work that I haven't had time to do anything! I promise that I'll update the other stories soon! Please review and let me know what you think!


	10. Leaving For A Meeting

Prisoners of the Mind: What Happens?

Chapter 8: Leaving for a Meeting

"Anybody got any ideas on how to beat Starscream?" Ratchet grunted.

"Nope," Bulkhead shook his head.

"Lockdown is my brother?" Prowl said slowly, still looking slightly shocked.

"What did I do to get locked up?" Optimus wondered.

Ratchet groaned. "These two are gonna be real helpful," he grumbled.

"They are?" Bulkhead looked confused. "'Cuz they don't look real helpful to me."

"I was bein' sarcastic," Ratchet explained.

"Oh," Bulkhead nodded in understanding. "That makes more sense."

Just then the door opened and Bumblebee stepped in. "Are you guys ready to go rescue Ultra Magnus and Sentinel?" he asked cheerfully.

"Yeah," Ratchet said. "But on a few conditions."

"We want to see our records," Prowl said.

"And we want our original memories back," Optimus said.

"And uh, is there anything else that we want?" Bulkhead asked.

"I can give you everything that you want except for your original memories," Bumblebee said.

"Why not?" Prowl asked.

"Because…" Bumblebee frowned then continued. "Because I can't. And that's all I'm going to say on the subject."

"Fair enough," Optimus said.

"Well let's go. Starscream's not going to wait forever." With that Bumblebee turned and walked out of the room.

The Autobots exchanged glances then followed him, forced to walk quickly in order to catch up to him.

"Any idea what he's gonna do?" Ratchet asked in a whisper.

Optimus shook his head. "I don't know," he replied. "But something tells me that we're not going to like it."

* * *

><p>Ultra Magnus and Sentinel were in their room, studiously avoiding looking at each other when suddenly the door opened, startling both of them. "There you are," Starscream said as he entered. "Get up," he ordered.<p>

"Why?" Sentinel demanded.

"Shut up," Ultra Magnus growled then looked at the Decepticon. "Why do you want us to get up?"  
>"So we can leave and go meet the Autobots," Starscream said.<p>

"If you think the Autobots are going to make a deal with you then you are seriously deluded," Sentinel declared.

"Shut up!" Ultra Magnus snapped.

"Oh but I didn't make a deal with the Autobots," Starscream said. "I made a deal with Bumblebee."

"You did?" Sentinel looked surprised.

Starscream nodded. "Yes," he said. "In exchange for the two of you going free he'll return my clones to me."

"You don't honestly think that he'll keep his word do you?" Sentinel asked, laughing a little.

"Yes," Starscream replied. "If nothing else Bumblebee is a bot of his word. Always. Now come on; unless you would care to join us…"

"No!" Ultra Magnus said hastily. "Thanks for the offer but no."

"Told you," Blitzwing said proudly.

Lugnut said nothing; but merely growled at the triple-changer and charged his weapons, pointing them at Sentinel. "Let's go," he snarled. "I don't have all day."

Sentinel made a face at the Decepticon but kept his thoughts to himself and instead followed Ultra Magnus out of their prison and onto the Decepticons' ship. As they launched into orbit he said nothing, but allowed his mind to go over his carefully construed plan. His plan...to destroy Ultra Magnus and the Decepticon's once and for all…

* * *

><p>AN: Yes I know that this chapter is wayyy overdue but personal stuff, school, and work prevented it from being written. Oh, I am putting 'Mixed-Up3: Haven't We Been Here Before?' up for adoption along with my Teen Titans story 'Subject 93483946'. Anyone who wishes to adopt them please let me know and we will discuss it. Thanks! Please review and let me know what you think! Have a great Easter!


	11. The Meeting

Prisoners of the Mind: What Happens?

Chapter 9: The Meeting

* * *

><p>The drive to the meeting place was quiet, full of tension. All of the Autobots were silent as they followed Bumblebee, Slipstream and the other clones keeping their mouths shut as they neared their destination. But just because they were quiet didn't mean that they weren't all thinking. Slipstream's processor was running a mile a second as she went through previous memory files and compared them to recent ones so she could figure out several things such as why Bumblebee had betrayed the Decepticons. None of the other clones really cared except for maybe Skywarp but that was only because Bumblebee had taken him under his wing so to speak and taught the scared clone a thing or two about fighting.<p>

The Autobots were all wondering about their pasts; what was real and what was not real. On the one hand they wanted to know; they wanted to know everything that there was to know about themselves. If they really believed in the Autobot cause; if Ratchet had always been grumpy, Bulkhead naïve, Prowl a loner or Optimus a loyal Autobot soldier plagued by the memories of an old mistake. But on the other hand they didn't. They didn't want to know why they had volunteered to participate in the experiments, if they were cold, unfeeling bots. They didn't want to know.

All of them, both Autobot and Decepticon, were relieved when they finally arrived at the meeting place. Starscream stood in the clearing, Blitzwing and Lugnut on either side pointing their charged weapons at Ultra Magnus and Sentinel Prime. "There you are!" Starscream exclaimed. "I was beginning to think that you were never going to come!"

"Now, Starscream," Bumblebee chided as he transformed into robot mode. "When have I ever given you my word and not followed through?"  
>"Right now, traitor," Slipstream hissed with venom in her voice.<p>

"Slipstream," Starscream said warningly. "Leave Bumblebee alone."

"Yeah," Bumblebee chimed in. "Besides, I never said that I wouldn't betray Starscream."

"He does have a point," Skywarp pointed out meekly then shrank from the force of Slipstream's glare.

"Can we please just get this over with?" Sentinel groaned. "We have a very important schedule to keep."

"All right, all right," Starscream grumbled then turned to Bumblebee. "I'll let the Autobots go at the same time that you let my clones go."

"Agreed," Bumblebee nodded. "Optimus, Ratchet, Prowl, let the clones go."

Optimus opened his mouth to protest then reluctantly nodded and released Slipstream.

"Let the Autobots go," Starscream ordered, Lugnut and Blitzwing doing his bidding.

The five bots eyed each other warily as they made their way to their respective groups. Only when the Autobots and Decepticons were safely standing next to their comrades did Optimus, Ratchet, Prowl, and Bulkhead heave sighs of relief and finally relax. Only to tense up again when Sentinel suddenly fired his weapon at Ultra Magnus, hitting the Autobot leader directly in his spark chamber. Immediately they all reacted, Blitzwing began firing at Sentinel who fired back while Ratchet rushed to Ultra Magnus's side to see what he could do. The others all watched from the side, wincing as both Blitzwing and Sentinel landed several damaging blows. Eventually Bumblebee became bored and stabbed Sentinel with his energon sword, the blade going all the way through, turning Sentinel's armor completely gray. The former prime fell to the ground with a clang.

"Well, that was certainly messy," Bumblebee said calmly as he wiped off his sword.

"Agreed," Blitzwing said then began fussing at Lugnut who was trying to ascertain how much his friend was hurt.

"Ultra Magnus'll be fine," Ratchet said. "Fortunately Sentinel missed his spark chamber by mere inches."

"Optimus," Ultra Magnus said. "I don't know what exactly Sentinel has told you but I think it's for the best if you and your friends leave this planet. For good. Some of the other Autobots might have trouble accepting the three of you."

Optimus nodded. He had already been considering that option as well. He still had no idea what exactly he and the others had done but guessed that it probably wasn't very good. "We'll leave as soon as possible," he said.

"They'll leave in the morning," Bumblebee answered.

"I would suggest that you leave as well, Bumblebee," Ultra Magnus said.

"Already planning to, sir," Bumblebee said. "I just plan on staying long enough to give the Autobots their files then I'm going to disappear as well."

Ultra Magnus nodded in agreement. "That's fine with me," he said. "That's fine with me."

* * *

><p>AN: I am so sorry that this chapter is late but I just haven't had the time to write anything. I promise that I'll try to finish the story before Thursday (there's only one chapter left anyway) so I would appreciate at least one review. Let me know what you think and thanks for reading!


	12. Epilogue: What Happens Now?

Prisoners of the Mind: What Happens?

Epilogue: What Happens Now?

* * *

><p>"So what now?" Optimus asked as he watched Bumblebee go through a filing cabinet.<p>

"Now, I give you these," Bumblebee handed Optimus a datapad with his picture on it then passed out similar ones to the others.

"So what exactly do we do?" Ratchet grunted.

Bumblebee shrugged.

"Why don't we read the datapads?" Bulkhead suggested.

"I don't think we have time," Prowl said, noticing how Bumblebee kept glancing at the chronometer on his desk. "Why don't we wait and read these after we leave Cybertron?"

"Sounds like a great idea!" Bumblebee said cheerfully. "There's a ship waiting at an abandoned dock not too far from here."

"So where do we go now?" Optimus asked.

Bumblebee sighed and looked straight at the Autobots. For a moment he just looked at them, allowing them to see just how old and tired he looked. "I don't know," he said at last. "I just don't know. Why don't you just take the ship and go explore? Who knows, maybe you'll discover that Earth really exists," he snorted.

"And what about you?" Bulkhead asked worriedly, the concern for the bot he thought had been his best friend unable to go away, despite his new-found knowledge that their friendship wasn't real.

"I'm not sure," Bumblebee admitted. "But Starscream wants to rebuild the Decepticon Empire. Not an army," he assured them, "but just another community. I might help him and the clones rebuild Kaon or I might just go exploring. I haven't really decided yet."

Optimus nodded. "Well, good luck on whatever you decide."

Bumblebee smiled. "Thanks and you too. Now you need to get going," his voice turned businesslike once more. "Preferably in the next fifteen minutes," he added.

"What exactly are you going to do?" Prowl asked suspiciously.

Bumblebee didn't reply but smirked, his eyes lighting up with mischief causing the others to feel slightly sad to know that they would never again see that smile. "Nothing," he said. "Nothing at all."

"Sure," Ratchet said sarcastically. "And I'm Megatron."

"Be careful about saying that," Bumblebee warned. "Someone might actually take you seriously." The smile he gave took away any seriousness there might have been, replacing it with some last minute mirth.

"I guess we need to go now," Optimus didn't move.

"Yeah definitely time to go," Bumblebee smiled at them once more. "Just so you guys know, it wasn't all pretend for me."

"Sorry to interrupt," Jazz stuck his cranial unit in the doorway. "But if you bots want to make it out of here then you might want to hurry up and go," he warned.

"We're going," Bumblebee said. "Go, now!"

"We're going," Optimus sighed.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later the four Autobots found themselves standing on a hill, watching as the Research Facility blew up. "Well," Prowl said at last. "I suppose that underneath all of that deceptiveness Bumblebee really was a decent bot after all."<p>

"Do you think he made it out?" Bulkhead wanted to know.

"I don't know," Optimus said.

"But more than likely he did and is probably terrorizing the Decepticons," Ratchet grumbled. "And they all deserve it."

* * *

><p>One Year Later<p>

"I'm picking up another solar system," Prowl announced.

"How many planets?" Optimus asked.

"Nine," Bulkhead replied. "All but one are uninhabited."

The Autobots exchanged glances then Ratchet shook his head. "No way," he said. "No way."

* * *

><p>"I am Isaac Sumdac and welcome to Earth," the odd little scientist said, the white streak in his hair standing out against the stark blackness of the rest of it.<p>

"And I'm his daughter Sari," the little girl said.

The Autobots smiled at the humans feeling a strange sense of déjà vu. As he stood there Optimus felt a strange sense of belonging as if they had finally come home. Yet, he couldn't help but think of a certain yellow and black minibot and praying that he too had found a home as well.

* * *

><p>AN: Well, ladies and gentlemen, this story is now completed. Yes, I understand that it is not as well written as some of my others but it is currently 1:19 am, I'm exhausted and I'm fixing to leave on an eight hour car trip shortly and I was trying to get it done before we leave. I would like to thank those of you who are my loyal readers and who have stayed with me even though my recent works have been suffering. I promise that I will do my absolute best to make it up to me. If you have any criticisms or praise please be kind enough to review and tell me. Thank you once again. Sincerely, Gage39


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